Black Roses Red
by xoxHannahBananaxox
Summary: REWRITTEN. A new girl moves to Tulsa and is immediatly thrown into life as a Soc. That is until she falls for none other than one of the Greasers. Will she ignore her feelings or embrace them and leave her stereotype behind?
1. Drowning in my Loneliness

**Black Roses Red**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Outsiders or the song Black Roses Red by Alana Grace.**

**Author's Note: This is the new and improved version of Black Roses Red. The orginal one was taken off the site because I had put song lyrics in it. However I was going to revise it anyway so it turned out to be a good thing. It will probably be boring for those of you who read the original, just a warning. Now without further ado here is Black Roses Red:**

Chapter One: Drowning in my Loneliness

Two-Bit Matthews ambled into Ms. O'Conner's third period English class on the first day of school as slowly as possible. He was nineteen and still a junior in high school. Most of his friends had already dropped out but Two-Bit enjoyed going to school, for some reason unbeknownst to the rest of the world. Maybe it was the girls. Will Rodgers High School had its fair share of them. When Two-Bit saw Claire sitting in the front row of his English class he knew she was going to be his third period eye candy.

Claire was conscious that he was looking at her, and it bothered her. Ever since she was a little girl she had been told she was beautiful. In middle school most of the girls hated her because the boys wanted to go out with her instead of them. And now that she was in high school she got asked out every other week by some sap who only liked her because she was easy on the eyes. She had this theory that girls only put up with boys because they needed reassurance that they were pretty. This was the last thing that Claire needed to be reassured of so she politely said no to all her suitors.

Despite of the fact she was pretty and had been asked out more times than she could count Claire had never had a real boyfriend. And the only date she had ever gone on was to a Valentine's dance in middle school with Brett Walker. Claire hadn't trusted a boy since Brett.

Two-Bit headed to the seat behind her; walking closer to her desk than was needed. Claire rolled her eyes; she was used to the little tricks guys played by that time. They would make not so subtle moves like 'accidentally' bumping into her in the lunch line so they could apologize and ask to buy her a Coke to say they were sorry. She could feel Two-Bit staring at the back of her head as he sat down and she shuddered, it was rather creepy. Finally when she could no longer take his eyes bearing into her head she turned around. He was leaning back in his desk with his hands behind his head in an "I'm-so-cool-and-tough" gesture. He was grinning at her in a very cocky way.

"Can I help you?" she asked. She was trying to be pleasant and keep her temper but it was hard with him grinning like that.

Two-Bit cocked one of his eyebrows and spread his grin out so far he resembled the Cheshire cat in Alice and Wonderland. He was looking at her, taking in her knee length skirt with little blue flowers patterned on it, her blue cashmere cardigan which was probably very expensive, and the tiny cross that was hanging on the gold chain around her neck. Even though her long curly hair was brown and not his preferred blonde he still had to admit she was a good looking broad. But he could tell from the way she was dressed that she was a Soc. She had on diamond earrings; no greaser girl owned a pair of real diamond earrings.

Claire pursed her lips and tried to bite back her temper when he answered, "No thanks, I'm just looking," as smooth as you please. Like he was at the department store or something! Claire studied him a minute with her expressive green eyes a moment and then turned around as the teacher came into the room.

"What's your name?" Two-Bit asked her. The bell had rung and Claire was heading to chemistry with her books clutched to her chest when Two-Bit had hurried up to her, plowing over some poor freshman, and put his arm around her.

"Why do you want to know?" Claire asked trying to shrug his arm off.

"Because I want to," he said cocking his eyebrow once again. Claire looked skeptically at him as she tried once again to get his arm off. It was like it was super-glued to her shoulder.

"Claire Belmont," she said finally with a sigh, stopping outside her classroom. He finally released her shoulder before he leaned against the nearest locker and nodded.

"I'm Two-Bit Matthews," he said smoothly, even though she didn't ask him. Claire raised her eyebrows as she studied him. He seemed to be part of the rough crowd, which scared Claire a little. He was one of those boys that her parents had always warned her about. He wasn't super handsome but Claire liked that, she trusted the plain looking guys more than the handsome ones.

"Is that a nickname?" she asked. The second she said it she realized that it was an invitation to start a conversation which would probably lead to him asking her out. He seemed like a sweet guy, she hated the fact that she would have to turn him down.

"Yeah, it is. Maybe if you go out with me tonight you'll find out what my real name is Claire Belmont," he said winking as the bell rang.

"I'm sorry, I can't," she said over the noise of people rushing to class. He shrugged at her before she headed into her classroom to sit down at one of the lab tables. As she took out her notebook and pen a person sat down on the chair that shared the table with hers. Here we go again, she thought as she turned to look at the guy.

He was young looking, couldn't be more than a freshman which was surprising because usually juniors only took chemistry which meant he must be pretty smart. He glanced over at her and gave her a nervous smile.

"Hi," he muttered nervously. Claire sighed miserably, not another one. But he seemed relatively harmless so she decided to throw him a bone.

"Hello," she said sitting up straighter in her seat. She gave him a brief nod and then looked down at her notebook.

"I saw Two-Bit's got his eye on you," the boy commented suddenly. Claire looked up from her notebook and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I guess he does. Do you know him?"

"He's a good buddy of mine. I'm Ponyboy Curtis." Claire cocked her head to one side in a bemused fashion.

"That's an interesting name," she commented. He nodded politely but the look on his face told her that he was sick of people questioning his name so she cleared her throat. "I'm Claire Belmont. I just moved here from Massachusetts."

"So that's why your accent is so weird. I shoulda known you weren't from around here." Ponyboy said laughing. Claire pursed her lips as she turned her attention to the teacher who had started talking.

"The seats you have chosen are going to be your seats for the entire year so I hope you have chosen wisely. The person sitting next to you will be your lab partner. I suggest you get to know them," the teacher droned in a monotone voice that Claire knew would put her to sleep. She glanced over at Ponyboy and he smiled.

"I guess we're going to be spending a lot of time together then," he said easily.


	2. Never Met a Girl like you Before

Chapter Two: Never Met a Girl like you Before

"Claire Belmont?" Claire looked over to a girl with long crimson hair who was calling her name. She was standing by the doorway to the cafeteria holding her brown paper bagged lunch, looking around, uncertain on where to sit. The red-headed girl came up to her.

"Yes?" Claire asked, timidly.

"Do you need somewhere to sit?" the girl asked cordially.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you." Claire said politely and the girl smiled.

"I'm Sherry Valence but everybody calls me Cherry because of my hair."

"I'm Claire but somehow you already know that."

"We have geometry together. You're new right?" Cherry asked leading the way to a long table that was already packed with people.

"Yes, from Massachusetts." Claire answered sitting down beside Cherry. The boy beside Cherry whistled.

"That's a long way from here," he said nodding to her. Claire briefly smiled and then cast her eyes back to her tomato sandwich.

"Claire, this is my boyfriend Bob. Bob this is Claire." Cherry said smiling as Bob put his arm around her shoulder. Claire nodded to him and then continued to eat her lunch in dainty bites. As nice as it was to have somewhere to sit, Claire couldn't help but feel awkward. She never had been good at talking to people, much less strangers.

"Hey Claire Belmont!" a familiar voice said loudly over her shoulder. Claire spun around in her chair to see Two-Bit by the cafeteria doors with Ponyboy and two boys she didn't recognize. One of them had his hair heavily oiled into swirls that made Claire vaguely dizzy to look at. The other had deeply tanned skin and sloppy black hair that fell into his eyes. He looked very jumpy.

Cherry cocked her head, looking at the boys too. Ponyboy waved to her and Two-Bit winked before the four of them exited. "How do you know those greasers?" Cherry asked. Bob and every other boy at the table looked up and glared. Bob crushed the cookie that he was eating in his fist.

"Greasers?" Claire asked, unfamiliar with the term. Cherry's friend Marcia snorted into her chicken salad.

"Who doesn't know what a greaser is?" Marcia asked giggling. Claire raised her eyebrows at the girl's rudeness. Cherry gave her a little smile; as if she were sympathetic to the fact that Claire didn't know the slang terms in Tulsa.

"Greasers are the term used for the people who live on the east-side. They call us Socs because we live on the west-side." Cherry explained. Claire furrowed her eyebrows as she looked down at her lunch. Socs? Greasers? What did it all mean? As far as she could tell Two-Bit and Ponyboy were no different from the boys sitting at the table with her, except for the fact that they had the most unusual names.

"Ms. Belmont you'll want to study a bit more next time." Mr. Smith, the chemistry teacher, said handing Claire her quiz back two weeks later. Claire bit her lip as she saw a big red D+ scrawled across the top. Claire had always done fairly well in school but she just couldn't grasp chemistry.

"I'm never going to understand this Ponyboy!" Claire said in a frustrated tone.

"I'm sure you will Claire. It's not that hard." Ponyboy said taking the quiz paper and glancing at it. "Do you want me to help you?" he asked giving the paper back before looking at his own quiz which had an A at the top. Claire nodded; she could use all the help she could get. "Why don't you come home with me after school and we can study together?"

Claire bit her bottom lip. On the one hand she really needed help and it would do her grade good to be tutored by Ponyboy. But on the other she really wasn't comfortable going to a boy's house, especially when she hardly knew him. "That would be lovely, thank you." Claire said finally biting the bullet. "How much do you want to be paid an hour? If you tell me now I can call my mother at lunch and get her to drop some money off." Ponyboy raised his eyebrows.

"You want to pay me to tutor you?"

"Yes. You're spending your valuable time tutoring me. You should get paid. My parents won't mind at all. Is five dollars an hour alright with you?"

"You don't need to pay me Claire. I want to help you." Ponyboy said pushing his long reddish brown hair out of his eyes.

"Are you sure? It's no trouble at all."

"I'm sure. I'll meet you at your locker after school, alright?" he asked. Claire nodded.

"Well now what have we here?" Two-Bit whistled. "Looks like Pony's picked himself up real-live Soc." Claire clutched her binder to her chest and glanced over at Ponyboy who punched Two-Bit playfully.

When Claire had accepted Ponyboy's offer to go to his house and study she didn't know that Two-Bit Matthews was going to be giving them a ride home. Claire wondered what her mother and father would have said if they saw her climbing in the backseat of that rusty old car, driven by a boy who had failed the same grade three times in a row.

"Who's your friend Pony?" the boy she had seen around school with the heavily greased hair in swirls asked.

"Oh. Claire, this is Steve Randal and Johnny Cade." Ponyboy said first pointing to the guy with the swirls in his hair and then to the tanned boy. "Steve, Johnny, this is Claire Belmont. I'm helping her study in chemistry."

"Sure you are Pony." Steve winked at him and then looked her up and down. Claire bit her lip and clutched her books to her chest tighter. She hated it when guys did that. It made her feel like she was a piece of art or an animal in the zoo, something that people gawked at for long periods of time.

"Don't get any ideas Steve." Two-Bit warned. "This doll's different from any I've ever met. She turned me down when I asked her out."

"So that means that she's just like all the other girls in the school with taste." Steve said. Two-Bit punched him in a playful way and the guys laughed even Johnny who had been silent up to that moment.

After everyone was in the car, Two-Bit turned the radio up really loud to an Elvis song and started singing along loudly and off-key as he pulled into traffic and sped towards Ponyboy's house.


	3. When Boy Meets Girl

**Once again I must apologize for my absence. School, work, friends, and my boyfriend have been keeping me busy.**

Chapter Three: When Boy Meets Girl

"Alright just do it like I told you." Ponyboy said passing Claire a paper with a series of equations to balance. Claire sighed; balancing chemical equations was probably her least favorite thing to do. However Pony did explain it in a way that was easier to understand than the way the book taught it.

She was in the middle of the third one when the front door opened. Ponyboy leaned back in his chair and greeted whoever it was. He was a tall, broad shouldered guy with icy blue-green eyes that were deadly serious. He had a paternal air to him but he didn't look old enough to be Ponyboy's father, and Claire had already managed to piece information from conversations together to figure out that Pony lived with his two older brothers.

"Who's your friend Pony?" the man asked, glancing at Claire curiously. Claire knew that he was looking at her clothes. She was dressed in one of her usual knee length skirts and blouse but she knew that they had been bought at rather upscale stores. It made her uneasy to think that her family had money when she could tell that sometimes money grew tight at the Curtis's house.

"Darry, this is Claire Belmont. She's in my chemistry class and she needed some extra help." Ponyboy said. Claire put her pencil down, remembering her manners. She stood up, smoothed her skirt and hair and extended her hand to him.

"How do you do Mr. Curtis?" Claire said politely.

"Mr. Curtis? That was my father. Where'd you find this girl Pony?" Darry asked as he shook her hand. "You can call me Darry. Would you like to stay for dinner Claire?"

Claire thought about it a moment. She didn't like to be around people she didn't know for too long but it seemed impolite not to accept the offer when she didn't have a reasonable excuse. "If I'm not intruding I'd love to. May I please borrow your phone to call my mother?" Claire said. Darry nodded and pointed to the phone hanging on the kitchen wall.

After getting her mother's permission to stay at the Curtis's for dinner Claire and Ponyboy worked on the few remaining problems. She had finally managed to get the concept. After they had finished studying Claire helped Darry set the table and get dinner ready.

It was at that time that _he_ walked in. Claire had seen many cute boys in her life but none of them could hold a candle to this boy. His blonde hair was long and his face was thoughtful and reckless at the same time. But it was his eyes that attracted her to him, his wonderful chocolate brown eyes. He so good looking her breath caught in her throat and she nearly dropped the stack of plates she was holding.

He came in with Steve, laughing and joking. But when he saw her he stopped and pulled off his DX baseball cap, running his hand through his silky hair. Steve elbowed him and muttered something she couldn't hear. The good looking boy laughed. Claire bit her lip as she put the plates on the table, she willed herself to set the table and not look at him.

"What's a pretty girl like her doing in our house?" the boy asked.

"That's Ponyboy's friend Claire. She's staying for dinner" Darry said from the kitchen. The boy grinned as he grabbed Ponyboy by the shoulders and punched him lightly.

"Ponyboy why didn't tell me you had a girlfriend? Much less a Socy doll like her," the guy said. Claire bit her tongue to keep herself from talking. Ponyboy's ears turned red.

"She's not my girlfriend Soda. She just needed help studying chemistry, that's all." Ponyboy said pushing the guy off him. The guy seemed happy with this information because he smiled and went over to Claire.

"Claire?" he asked. Claire looked up from setting out the silverware and met his eyes. She nodded. "I'm Sodapop, Pony's older brother."

"It's nice to meet you," she said, walking into the kitchen to take a dish Darry had set on the counter to the table. When Claire walked back over to the table Soda was leaning against the wall and looking at her. She could feel his eyes travel up and down her body like a million other boys' had. But something was different this time. Claire didn't know how she knew it but she was sure that it was.

"I don't reckon I've seen you around here Claire." Soda said over dinner.

"You shouldn't. I moved here from Massachusetts a few weeks before school began," she answered. Soda raised his eyebrows.

"What brought you here?" Darry asked.

"My father's job, he owns a bunch of offices in New England but he wanted to expand. I don't know all the details but he wanted to have one in Tulsa." Claire answered.

"So you live on the west-side right, in your big fancy house." Steve Randle, who was eating dinner at the Curtis's that night, said bitterly into his meal. Claire looked uncomfortably down at her plate.

"Steve…" Darry said in a warning tone from across the table.

"Yes Steve, I do live on the west-side. And I guess you could consider my house large." Claire said finding her voice.

Soda cleared his throat, sensing a need for a subject change. "Do you have any brothers or sisters, Claire?"

"I have an older brother, Charlie. He's in college back in New England though."

"Where does he go? Harvard?" Steve sneered. Soda elbowed his best friend.

"No, Yale actually," she muttered quietly. She had always been proud of her older brother. Charlie was her best friend and the only one who really understood her. Charlie was becoming a lawyer, but by himself, not using their family's connections.

"Close enough." Steve replied. "They're both expensive and hard to get into."

"Lay off her Steve. It ain't her fault her family's well off!" Soda snapped. Steve raised his eyebrows before going back to his meal. Ponyboy and Darry looked at each other, bewildered. Soda hardly ever got mad at Steve. The meal was finished in an uneasy silence and Steve left, muttering something about his father being upset if he came home late again.

"Would you like me to drive you home Claire?" Darry asked as Claire cleared her plate.

"I could call my parents, I'm sure they would come get me. I don't want to be too much trouble." Claire said.

"It's no trouble at all."

"Darry can I drive her home?" Soda asked, looking at his older brother hopefully.

"If Claire doesn't mind I guess you can." Darry said shrugging as Ponyboy started to do the dishes. "Do you mind?" he asked Claire.

"I guess it would be alright," she said gathering her books and sweater. Soda grinned as he took the car keys from Darry and galloped out the door like a colt. "Thank you for having me over for dinner. And thanks for helping me Ponyboy." Claire said bidding them goodbye.

She walked out the front door to find Sodapop leaning against the Ford pickup truck parked in front of the house. He opened the passenger side door when he saw her coming and helped her up into the cab.

Soda got into the truck himself and started to drive towards the west-side. They drove in silence until Claire had to start giving him directions to her house. "Turn right up here," she told him.

"This is some swanky neighborhood you live in." Soda commented, peering out at the neighborhood through the windshield. Claire shrugged as he stopped in front of her house.

"Well thank you for the ride Soda," she said putting on her sweater. She was about to open her door when he answered her.

"No problem. Hey, Claire?"

"Yes?" she asked tucking one of her brown curls behind her ear.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the movies with me or something sometime." Soda said smoothly. Claire sighed. When guys asked if she wanted to go to a movie on Friday she could make up an excuse, a tiny fib like 'I'm sorry but I have to baby sit that night'. But when they asked her out the way Soda did how was she supposed to turn them down?

"I'm not sure…" Claire said uncertainly. Soda furrowed his eyebrows. He wasn't one of those people who hid his disappointment. "I'm sorry. Goodbye Soda." Claire opened up her door and hopped down out of the truck.

"See ya Claire," he muttered. Claire walked up her driveway to her front door, fumbling in her purse for her key. As she opened her front door she turned around to see Soda was still sitting out in the truck in front of her house. She couldn't help but like him a little for waiting to make sure she got inside okay so she waved. He beeped his horn twice and then pulled away to go home.


	4. Just the Girl I'm Looking for

**Chapter Four: Just the Girl I'm Looking for**

"Excellent work Miss Belmont," Mr. Smith said handing Claire her test back. Claire could feel her eyes grow large as she saw the large A- written at the top in red ink. Ponyboy smiled a little when he saw it, stuffing his own test into his binder.

"Thank you so much Ponyboy. I couldn't have done it without you!"

"It's no problem." Ponyboy muttered, embarrassed. "Do you know my brother still talks about you?" he asked suddenly.

"Darry talks about me?" Claire asked, raising her eyebrows at the thought that Pony's twenty year old brother talked about her.

"Not Darry, Sodapop! Ever since you came over that night he's been talking about you." Ponyboy said.

"Really?" Claire asked, not believing him. That had been two weeks ago. Usually her novelty wore off after guys found out she didn't want to date them.

"Yeah, he says you're crazy about him, you just don't know it yet." Pony laughed. Claire laughed too.

"Soda's awfully sure of himself isn't he?"

"He can do anything if he puts his mind to it. So if he really wants to go out with you he's going to find a way to get you to say yes."

"Well I haven't seen him since that night he took me home so he isn't trying too hard to get me to pay attention to him." Claire said as the bell rang. Ponyboy shrugged as Claire stood up and walked out the chemistry classroom.

* * *

"So Claire, are you going to the homecoming game?" Cherry asked at lunch. Claire looked up from her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

After swallowing a bite she answered, "I don't know, maybe, I guess."

"You should totally come with us!" Marcia said who had since forgiven Claire's lack of knowledge of Tulsa slang. Claire had been invited to a few parties with Marcia and Cherry and some of the other girls at the table but she had declined all of them. Claire wasn't big on parties.

"I guess. I'll have to get my parents' permission but if they say it's alright I suppose I could go." Claire answered.

"Great!" Marcia said clapping her hands excitedly.

* * *

"Hey Soda look it's your girlfriend!" Two-Bit said loudly. Claire looked over to Marcia and rolled her eyes. A large group of boys was sliding in to sit in the row behind Claire and the group of girls she was sitting with on the bleachers. These boys included Two-Bit, Steve, Johnny, a tough boy named Dallas Winston that Claire had heard of from Cherry, Ponyboy, Darry, and Sodapop.

"Hey Claire." Soda said tapping her shoulder. Claire turned around to see that he was sitting right behind her. Two-Bit was on one side of him and Dallas Winston was on the other.

"Hello Soda." Claire answered giving him a brief nod before turning around. She tucked one of her brown curls behind her ear as Marcia elbowed her.

"I didn't know you knew Sodapop Curtis," she hissed into Claire's ear. Claire rubbed her temples and she knew it was going to be a long night.

"I don't really. I mean I only met him once…" Claire whispered back. Marcia raised her eyebrows as if she didn't believe Claire and went back to watching the cheerleaders do their routine.

"You picked yourself a real Socy broad Soda," Dallas commented. Claire bit her lip as she felt Soda's knee touch her back, it was subtle enough that it could be perceived as an accidental thing but it was still noticeable to her. Dallas then went on to say some really dirty things; Claire had never even heard some of the words he used.

"Watch the mouth." Soda said warningly.

"Why is your girlfriend such a naïve and innocent little girl she can't hear bad words?" Dally asked laughing as he cursed some more.

"I'm getting popcorn." Claire whispered to Marcia who nodded, distracted at cheering on her boyfriend Randy as the football players took the field. Claire stepped gingerly around people to get to the steps. After descending the stairs she waved to Cherry who was with the other cheerleaders.

"Are you having a good time?" Cherry asked waving her pompoms. Claire nodded.

"I guess so. I've never been to a football game before." Claire said. Cherry nodded and then looked over Claire's shoulder.

"Hey Claire." Soda said, causing Claire to jump.

"Soda you scared me!" Claire said putting her hand to her chest. Cherry laughed.

"Claire, you didn't tell me you knew Soda." Cherry said. Soda grinned and put his arm around Claire.

"We go way back. Now if you'll excuse us we have to go get some popcorn at the concession stand," Soda said.

"Bye Cherry." Claire muttered reluctantly as Soda led her away to the concession line.

"So Claire…how are you?" Soda asked as they got in line.

"I'm fine thank you. But could I ask you a favor Soda?" Claire asked.

"Anything."

"Could you remove your arm from my shoulders? It's making me uncomfortable." Claire said. Soda shrugged and removed his arm like he was asked. "Thank you."

"What's it going to take Claire?" Soda asked suddenly as Claire asked the woman at the counter for popcorn and a 7-UP.

"What's it going to take what?" Claire asked as she was about to hand over her money but Soda thrust his out instead.

"What is it going to take for you to say yes to go on a date with me?" he asked handing her, her popcorn and soda.

"I don't know Soda. But thank you for paying for my snack," she said quietly, starting to walk back to the bleachers. Soda followed her, with his hands in his pockets.

"I think you're scared," he said suddenly. Claire raised one of her eyebrows in a manner that would have made Two-Bit proud.

"Oh really. Well that's a good theory I guess if you can't handle rejection" Claire said climbing back up to sit with Marcia. Soda ran his right hand through his long hair and stared after her. Soda had to know that there were a large number of girls who liked him; he could have any of them in a heartbeat. And yet he had set his mind to Claire Belmont, the one girl who didn't want to go out with him.


	5. More Than Just a Pretty Face

**Chapter Five: More than Just a Pretty Face**

"Claire, darling?" The voice echoed through the vast hallway of the Rochester household the Monday following the football game. Claire wiped her feet on the door mat before she stepped onto the shiny hardwood hallway floor.

Claire carried her schoolbooks with her as she entered the front sitting room or "parlor" as her mother called it after she had hung her jacket in the coat-closet. Claire hardly ever entered the "parlor" unless she had to. As impressive as it was it lacked the homier feel of the family living room which was where the TV was.

"What is it Mother?" she asked, putting her books on the glass coffee table and settling herself next to her mother on the uncomfortable, yet pretty, couch. Her mother was a beautiful woman who had long, soft blonde hair and baby blue eyes. Although Claire had inherited her father's hair and eyes she was always told she got her beauty and grace from her mother.

"A young man came by here about an hour ago and asked me to give this to you," her mother said handing over a piece of folded notebook paper. Claire twirled a lock of her brunette hair as she read:

_Dear Claire,  
__Will you go with me to the Nightly Double this Friday?  
__- Sodapop Curtis_

"Wow, he really doesn't give up that easily," Claire muttered. Her mother took the paper from her and smiled when she had finished reading it.

"Well are you going to say yes to him?"

Claire rolled her eyes, a habit she knew her mother detested. "Why would I say yes to him Mother?"

"Well he went to a lot of trouble to write that and bring it over here for you. He's very handsome and seemed like a nice young man, despite the horrible clothes he was wearing."

"But I don't want to go out with him." Claire said taking the paper back and folding it up. Her mother pursed her lips.

"Darling, I know you have this thing about not going out with boys but really you have to start sometime. You're seventeen now. How are you ever going to be married if you don't at least go to the movies with boys once or twice?" her mother asked, brushing Claire's bangs away from her eyes.

"What if I don't want to be married Mother? What if I want to travel the world and learn new things, rather than be tied down to some guy I don't even like and have a bunch of kids with him that I can't handle? Did you ever think of that?" Claire asked, gathering her books. She tucked Soda's note in her history textbook as she left the room without being excused, leaving her mother bewildered.

* * *

Claire entered her bedroom and dropped her books on her desk with a bang. She was angry that her mother kept pressuring her to go out with boys. Couldn't she see that Claire had no interest of sitting in a car with a boy, who would probably try to feel her up by the end of the night? 

Claire dug through one of her desk drawers for her address book. She prayed that her brother would be in his dorm room when she called. After locating the number of her brother's dorm she dialed it on her pink princess style phone and crossed her fingers that someone would pick up.

"Hello?" a deep voice said on the other line.

"Could I speak to Charlie please?" Claire said, not recognizing the voice on the other end.

"Sure. Belmont, there's some doll on the phone for you!" the guy yelled. Claire could hear laughing as her brother took the phone.

"Charlie?" Claire asked hopefully.

"Claire? No Ricky it's my little sister. Yes, that's her in the picture. NO! She's only seventeen for Pete's sake! Sorry about that sis. Now what's the matter?"

"Why would you say something is the matter?" Claire asked taking Soda's note out of her history book and reading it again.

"Because you wouldn't be calling me if something wasn't the matter. Now tell me what it is."

"It's Mother." Claire said, rolling her eyes.

Charlie let out a sigh. "What has she done now?"

"Well you see there's this boy…" Claire began.

"Boy! What boy?"

"Charlie, please."

"Sorry, go on."

"Well there's this boy who likes me and for some reason has been trying to get me to go out with him, even though I've already turned him down. And today Mother found out about it and she wants me to go out with him because apparently if I don't go out with a boy I'll never get married and follow in her footsteps." Claire said in a rush. Charlie laughed. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry Claire. Mom only wants what's best for you."

"But what if getting married and following in her footsteps isn't what's best for me. You know better than anyone that I don't want that. You know I want to travel the world and get a good job. Not sit at home and pretend to be Miss Susie Housewife."

"I know that but Mom doesn't. You'll just have to hang in there until you graduate. Then you can travel the world all you want."

"Easy for you to say. You're already in college and away from our parents."

"Claire…"

"Quit feeling sorry for myself. I know." Claire said finishing off her brother's sentence.

"Good girl. Now what about this boy?"

"Soda?"

"What?"

"That's his name. Sodapop Curtis."

"There's a boy named Sodapop chasing after my baby sister?" Charlie choked out. Claire giggled.

"It could be worse. His little brother is named Ponyboy."

"Alright so this Sodapop guy, what's he like?"

"I don't really know him. I mean I met him when Ponyboy was helping me with chemistry and then he talked to me at the homecoming football game but other than that I really haven't spoken to him."

"Claire…come on you must know something about him."

"He looks like a movie star." Claire said shrugging, even though Charlie couldn't see her. Charlie laughed.

"That's great. You two can be pretty together!"

"You can't see it but I'm giving you a really evil look right now."

"Well why don't you do something crazy and actually get to know the guy. You don't have to go out with him. Just talk to him, and see what he likes to do. You might have something in common with him, besides both of you being good looking."

"I guess…"

"Listen I have to go. Ricky and I have a study group meeting in the library in ten minutes. Just keep your chin up Claire. And don't let Mom get you down." Charlie said.

"Okay. Bye Charlie. Love you."

"Love you too sis."

Claire sighed as she hung up the phone. As much as her brother tried to help her he really couldn't make her feel better this time as he had almost every time before.


	6. The Last Thing I Wanted Was You

**Chapter Six: The Last Thing I Wanted Was You**

"Cherry why did you have to chose this gas station out of all the gas stations in town?" Claire asked. She was sitting in the passenger seat of Cherry's bright red Corvette. Cherry was driving and Marcia was in the backseat. They had invited Claire to go shopping with them after school and since Claire had declined many of their offers before she felt that she had to accept this one. Claire had never had many friends to do things like go shopping with and it felt a little awkward but she was obliged to Cherry and Marcia for letting her join their circle. Sometimes they were a little superficial and silly but underneath it all they were good girls.

"Oops, sorry!" Cherry laughed as she looked past me to see Soda coming up to the car. He grinned as he noticed Claire.

"Howdy Claire. What can I do for you girls?" he asked, leaning in Cherry's window. Claire nodded to him but then went back to studying the pattern of her skirt.

"Fill her up please." Cherry said, looking over at Claire who was slouching down in her seat.

"Sure thing."

"Claire he totally likes you! Even if he is a greaser, Sodapop Curtis is the hottest guy around these parts. You are so lucky!" Marcia said, leaning forward in her seat. Marcia had a habit of talking louder than an ordinary person. If she had been using a normal speaking tone Soda would not have been able to hear her. But as it was the volume of Marcia's voice carried out through the open window and inevitably to Soda's ears. Claire bit her lip and turned around in her seat to look out the back window at him. He had a sort of smug grin on his face.

"No he doesn't. He just wants to prove he can get me to go out with him. It's like a contest or something." Claire said, shaking her head.

"I don't think that's true Claire." Cherry spoke up. "I mean David tried to get you to go out with him too but he gave up after you said no. Soda hasn't stopped asking you."

"That's very true." Marcia put in. Claire sighed as Soda came back to Cherry's window.

"Thanks," he said as Cherry handed over the money for gas. Soda stuck it in his shirt pocket. "Hey Claire, did you give any thought to going to the Nightly Double with me tonight?"

"Um…well…" Claire shifted uncomfortably, silently praying that she wouldn't have to answer.

"She'd love to Soda but it's just she already promised she would go to the movies with us tonight, didn't you Claire?" Cherry said.

"I did?" Claire asked. Cherry nodded. "Uh…I mean yes I did."

"Well hey maybe I'll see you there." Soda said grinning at Claire. He winked at her before heading back inside the gas station.

"Looks like we're going to the movies tonight!" Marcia said, bouncing in her seat a little. Claire groaned and rested her forehead on the dashboard. What had her friends gotten her into?

* * *

"Claire, what a surprise!" Soda said sitting down next to Claire at the Nightly Double.

"Hi Soda." Claire said shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She shot Cherry a deadly look as a few of Soda's friends joined them. Two-Bit Matthews had started talking to Marcia and Dallas Winston was already giving Cherry a hard time.

Claire soon figured out that Sodapop had a short attention span. He had only been sitting there about twenty minutes when he started fidgeting. Claire shook her head at him and tried to watch the movie.

"Hey Claire?" Soda asked, poking her shoulder.

"Yes?"

"I'm bored, do you want to go on a walk with me?" he asked, grinning that Sodapop Curtis grin that made most girls go weak at the knees. And as much as Claire hated to admit it she felt herself swoon a little when he smiled at her.

"Go on a walk where?" Claire asked looking around. There wasn't much room to walk with all the cars. And besides why would anyone want to walk around the drive-in. Soda shrugged. Claire was about to turn him down yet again when Marcia kicked the back of her seat hard.

"Ouch!" Claire said turning around to see what her friend was doing.

"Go!" Marcia mouthed to Claire, making sure that Two-Bit couldn't see. Claire shook her head but Marcia kicked her chair again.

"Fine. Okay Soda I'll go on a walk with you." Claire said, finally giving in.

"Great!" Soda said standing up and leading her away. Claire looked back over her shoulder at Marcia and Cherry, giving them dead glares for not getting her out of this.

* * *

Apparently going on a walk to Soda was not simply walking around the perimeter of the drive-in but actually going out and walking on the sidewalk. Claire shook her head, it was dangerous to be out on the streets this late at night but Soda had told her not to worry, nobody would be bothering them.

"So where are we going?" she asked folding her arms across her chest to ward off cold.

"Where ever you want to go." Soda said winking at her. Claire sighed.

"Why didn't you want to stay and see the movie?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I dunno. I'm really not big on movies. I get bored too easily," he explained. Claire raised her eyebrows.

"I see. So then why did you ask me to go to the movies with you on a date?" she asked.

"Because you seem like my brother, you like to read and watch movies." Soda said simply.

"So you thought if you asked me to a movie I would say yes because I like to go to the movies?"

"Well…yeah." Soda admitted. "Pretty stupid, huh?"

"Well I'm flattered that you would _attempt_ to sit through a movie just so you could spend time with me. But can I ask you a question?" Claire asked. Soda nodded. "Why are you trying so hard to go out with me?"

Soda walked in silence for awhile, pondering this. "Because I like you Claire."

"But you hardly know anything about me. You're no different than any of the other boys who ask me out…"

"Yes I am." Soda said confidently.

"Oh really. How so?"

"Because although I barely know you, I want to get to know you." Soda said. Claire mused over this. No boy had ever really wanted to get to know her, or made the effort to find out that she liked to read and watch movies. Soda chuckled to himself and tugged at the sleeve of her sweater. "Come on I'll walk you home. Can't have a Socy girl like you walking the streets of Tulsa this hour without a big strong greaser like me." Soda showed off shamelessly, doing a series of cartwheels down the middle of the road, Claire rolled her eyes at him but she couldn't help but smile just a little.


	7. I Won't Say I'm in Love

**Chapter Seven: I Won't Say I'm in Love**

"Thank you for walking me home Soda." Claire said, tucking a strand of her curly brown hair behind her ear. Soda grinned at her as she dug in her pocket for her key.

"You're welcome," he said as she finally located her house key. She looked up at him for a moment, but that was a mistake because she got entranced by his brown eyes. They were so expressive, showing more emotions than Claire felt she had in her entire body.

"Well I better be…" Claire said softly, gesturing behind her to her front door. Soda nodded.

"Hey Claire?" he asked before she stuck her key in the lock. Claire sighed, she knew him well enough by now to know what he was going to ask her.

"Yes Soda?"

"Do you ever think that maybe, possibly, someday you would go out with me?" he asked. Claire tilted her head to one side and smiled. She hadn't been expecting that. It wasn't an invitation to some party or to the movies or whatever. It was just a question.

"Maybe someday," she said nodding. Soda's grin spread out wider as Claire turned back to unlocking the door.

"Night Claire," he said.

"Goodnight Soda."

Soda winked at her before he started walking down the driveway and into the night. Claire stood there a moment, leaning on the doorjamb, staring after him. Why had she said that? Now he would be trying harder than ever to get her to go out with him. But maybe that wasn't a bad thing. As much as she hated to admit it Soda was actually growing on her. There was no denying that he was attractive, he was sweet and compassionate even though he was a greaser, and he made her laugh.

"Claire honey?" Claire's father called. "Is that you?"

"Yes Daddy." Claire said. She wiped her feet on the rug and then took off her jacket, hanging it in the coat-closet as she always did when entering her house. She wandered into the "parlor" to find her father reading the newspaper and her mother flipping through a magazine.

"What was taking you so long on the porch dear? Your mother and I could hear voices," her father asked.

"Nothing," Claire lied through her teeth as she kissed her father and mother before sitting down next to her mother.

"I thought I saw that boy through the window," her mother said. Claire's father lowered his newspaper.

"Boy? What boy are you talking about Helen?"

"Only this charming young man who has his sights set on our daughter," her mother said, not looking up from her magazine.

"Claire you didn't tell me you were going steady with anyone," her father said folding up his newspaper and raising his eyebrows at her.

"I'm not going steady with him Daddy. He's just a boy…"

"Helen did you know about this?" her father asked.

"Yes. He came over her with a note for Claire the other day. He had the most unusual name…what was it…"

"Sodapop." Claire said.

"Now Claire this isn't the time to ask for a drink," her father said. Claire rolled her eyes.

"That's his name Daddy."

"Sodapop? That's not a name that's a beverage!" her father said loudly.

"There's no need to yell Tom," her mother said irritably, turning a page in the magazine she was reading.

"What were you and this Sodapop person doing on the porch?" her father asked, ignoring her mother's comment.

"Nothing Daddy. Cherry, Marcia and I were at the movies and he and a bunch of his friends joined us. Then I wanted to leave early so he offered to walk me home. That's all." Claire said.

"Why didn't you get a ride with one of your friends? Or called me, I would have come to get you at the drive-in," her father said, lowering his voice a little.

"Nobody else who had a car wanted to leave. And I didn't want to bother you and mother. And it's not like I was alone. Soda was with me." Claire said. She knew it was wrong to lie to her parents but she couldn't help but do it. She didn't want her father to be mad at Soda when he didn't even know him.

"I see…" her father said stroking his mustache. Claire bit the inside of her cheek as he continued, "I want to meet this young man if you do decide to go steady with him."

"Yes sir." Claire answered. "May I be excused please? I'm rather tired."

"Of course dear. Good night," her mother said before her father could answer. Claire kissed her mother and father and then left the "parlor". While she was climbing the stairs to her room she could hear her parents bickering about her and Soda.

* * *

"May I speak to Charlie please? Tell him it's his sister." Claire asked hopefully into the phone. She knew her chances of getting her brother in his dorm room on a Friday night were slim to none but she had to try anyway.

"One second doll. Belmont it's your sister!" the guy yelled. Claire could hear laughing before her brother's voice came on the line.

"Claire?"

"Hey Charlie. I just called to see how you're doing." Claire said twirling the phone cord around her wrist as she spoke. She could almost see her brother raising his eyebrows skeptically.

"I'm fine Claire. Now why don't you tell me why you called?"

Claire sighed, her brother knew her all too well. "Well I think I just kind of went on a date with Soda, that guy I told you about."

"Good for you Claire. What made you change your mind?"

"My friends told him that we'd be at the movies tonight so he came and joined us. Does that count as a date?" Claire asked her brother.

"I don't know. Maybe to some people." Charlie answered.

"Great…" Claire mumbled.

"Claire let me ask you something."

"Okay…"

"Why are you so hesitant to go out with guys?" her older, wiser brother asked.

"I don't know…" Claire said, shrugging her shoulders even though her brother couldn't see her.

"Claire, don't you want to fall in love? I mean I know you don't want to end up married to some guy you don't like with a bunch of kids because that interferes with your see the world dream. But haven't you ever once wondered about what it feels like to be in love?" he asked.

Claire stopped twirling the cord around her wrist and thought for a moment. "No," she said simply. "I don't believe in love."


	8. She’s Just a Beautiful Disaster

**Author's Note: It's been a really long time. I've had a lot of stuff going on (family issues, applying to college, breaking up with my boyfriend if you really want to know). But now I'm back, hopefully for a while. Chapter Nine is already written so expect another update in a few days.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: She's Just a Beautiful Disaster**

Claire sat on the hood of Cherry's red Corvette the next day with her chin in the palm of her hand, looking at the setting sun in the distance. Marcia had just been dumped by her boyfriend Randy and decided that she needed a girl's night. So she had invited Cherry and Claire to her house to sleep over.

"Okay so I bought some magazines and face masks. I've got the Ouija board in the trunk of my car…am I forgetting anything?" Cherry asked coming out of the drugstore with a plastic shopping bag.

"Ice cream." Claire said. Cherry smacked her forehead, she handed Claire the bag and turned to go back into the drug store to buy a pint or two of ice cream.

"Hello Claire," a familiar voice said making her jump.

"Ponyboy you scared me!" Claire said putting her hand to her chest. Pony laughed and walked over to her, Two-Bit and Johnny in tow. "What are you guys up to?" she asked raising one of her eyebrows at Two-Bit, who winked at her.

"Just heading down to the Nightly Double," Pony said. Claire nodded.

"Want to join us doll face?" Two-Bit asked, cocking one of his eyebrows and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Soda would be awfully mad if she did and he wasn't there," Johnny commented softly. Claire sighed at the mention of Soda but smiled at Johnny. He hardly ever talked to her.

"I would but I have plans. I'm just waiting for Cherry…" Claire explained.

"Cherry?" Two-Bit asked.

"You know, that girl with the red hair Dally's always bothering." Ponyboy said, going crimson around the ears the way he did when he was embarrassed. Two-Bit grinned and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Looks like Soda's not the only Curtis to be bitten by the love bug," Two-Bit said jerking his head in Claire's direction. "Hey maybe you and Claire could work out some kind of deal, Ponyboy. Since Miss Belmont is friends with Cherry after all." Two-Bit said laughing. Johnny shook his head and Claire giggled under her breath as Ponyboy muttered something incoherent.

"Who are you talking to Claire? Oh hi Two-Bit, Johnny. Hey Ponyboy," Cherry said, clutching the bag containing the ice cream. "What are you doing here?"

"We're heading over to the movies," Two-Bit said. He kicked Pony in the shin.

"Ouch!" Pony muttered. Cherry raised her eyebrows. "Uh…I mean. We would ask you to come along but Claire already said you have plans."

"That's really sweet of you Ponyboy, thank you. I'm sorry we can't come with you. Maybe some other time." Cherry said nodding to him. "Well, we better be going Claire or the ice cream is going to melt before we get to Marcia's." Cherry said getting into the driver's seat. Claire nodded and hopped off the hood, her navy blue circle skirt swishing at her knees.

"Goodbye boys." Claire said, walking over to the passenger side of the car.

"Bye," Johnny muttered.

"Bye-Bye!" Two-Bit waved.

"Claire?" Ponyboy asked. Claire turned to look at him. "You do know that Soda isn't going to give up, don't you?" Pony asked. Claire laughed.

"I think I'm beginning to realize that. Will you tell him hello for me?" Claire asked, getting into the car. Pony nodded and waved as Cherry pulled out of the drugstore parking lot and out onto the road to go to Marcia's.

* * *

"Claire? May I ask why you don't want to go out with Soda?" Cherry ventured to inquire as they drove to Marcia's house. Claire sighed. She was getting sick of being asked this question. But Cherry was her good friend, the one who invited her into her group when she was new and didn't know anybody. The least Claire could do was answer a simple question.

"I don't know. It's kind of complicated." Claire said halfheartedly. "I know he's only asking me out just because of the way I look…" Claire said, glancing in the passenger side mirror of Cherry's car. The wind was playing with her curly brown hair; her green eyes stared back at her. Claire touched her pale skin that matched that of a porcelain doll. Claire had once read in a book that beauty is a gift. As far as presents were concerned Claire felt her beauty was up there with the Trojan horse.

"Claire…" Cherry said shaking her head. "That can't be all he's interested in. Trust me. Bob has told me about many guys who just like the way you look. But none of them are putting up such a fight to go out with you like Soda is. In all the time I've known him, he's never gone out with a Soc."

"It's just a contest for him. He just wants to prove to his friends that he can get a good looking girl…" Claire muttered. "Just like every other guy."

"You can't really believe that…can you Claire?" Cherry asked. "You don't have faith that people like you for who you are and not what you look like?" Cherry glanced over to her friend who was biting her lip.

"I don't know…" Claire said, twirling a lock of her hair.


End file.
